Rotary engine.



S. 3. JOHNSON, DECD. S.10 HNSON,EXECUTRlX.

, ROTARY ENGINE, APPLICATION FILED MAYZI, 19I6;

1,1293%59} Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

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S. JOHNSON, EXECUTRIX.

ROTARY ENGINE.

AP-PLlCATlON FILED MAY 21, 1915.

Patented Feb. 4, 1919.

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SINCLAIR J. JOHNSON, 0E MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY; SARAH JOHNSON, EXECUTRIX on THE WILL 0E sAIn SINCLAIR J. JOHNSON, nEcEAsEn, ASSIGNOR 0E ONE-HALF T0 WALTER. o. SHULTZ, 0F MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 41:, 1919.

Application filed May 27, 1916. Serial No. 100,207.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SINCLAIR J. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary engines operated by fluid under pressure, and it is the primary object of the invention to improve the general construction of such engines to increase the efficiency thereof whereby it will be readily responsive to the aotu ating medium and convert the maximum amount of actuating medium-to energy or power and preventing any appreciable loss of power by inertia.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rotary fluid pressure engine in which all of the moving parts are at all times in equilibrium to prevent binding and the consequent frictional retardation. and wear of said moving parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary engine of this character in which the direction of movement of the engine may be changed at will.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In carrying out the invention I provide a cylinder and a head to engage therein, the head and cylinder being arranged to provide an annular fluid chamber in which a piston part or parts carried by the head operate with abutments reciprocable transversely of said chamber to intercept the movement of the piston part or parts during the movement thereof, the said chamber having ports at opposite sides of the piston parts to control the motive fluid charge to and the discharge or exhaust from said chamber, means being also provided to connect at will either one of said ports with the source of the motive fluid medium and the other port with the discharge or exhaust of said fluid to change the direction of movement of the engine.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of an engine showing an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line C-C of Fig 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partly broken away, looking at the right of Fig. 1.

Fig. at is a perspective view, partly in section, of the piston mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of my improved engine.

F1gs. 6 to 10 inclusive are cross sectional ylews of Fig. 1 looking in the directions Indicated by the arrows, to illustrate the means to change the direction of movement of the engine, Fig. 6 being taken on the line M-M, Fig. 7 on the line NN, Fig. 8 on the line 0-0, Fig. 9 on the line P-P, and Fig. 10 on the line L-L.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the piston mechanism in another pos1t1on.

Fig. 12 is a sectional side elevation of the means to change the direction of movement of the engine, showing the position the parts will assume when the engine is being driven in one direction, the section being taken on the lines F F of Figs. 6 to 10.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 but taken on the lines G-G of Figs. 6 to 10.

Fig. 14. is a view similar to Fig. 13 but showing the position the parts will assume when the engine is driven in a direction re verse to that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a view similar to Fig. 12 but showing the position the parts will assume when the engine is driven in a direction reverse to that when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 12.

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts in another position; and

Fig. 17 is a sectional side elevation illustrating a modified embodiment of my invention.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout the diiferent views of the drawings.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings there is provided a cylinder 18 consisting of a pair of axially separable connected sections, the said cylinder having two chambers or an enlargement, as shown at 19, to provide what will be herein termed as the fluid chamber. Secured between the cylinder sections is a member 20 having an annular partdepending or extending into the cylinder centrally of the chamber 19 andfor a distance beyond the depth of said chamber for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

A head 21 which is in the nature of a piston head engages in the cylinder and is journaled therein by reduced parts 22, 23 at opposite ends engaging in suitable bearings in openings in the cylinder ends, the end 23 constituting the means to connect the engine to an element to be driven thereby. The end 23 also passes through a stuffing box 24: in the opening in the end of the cylinder. Bushings 26 may also be provided between the ends of the cylinder and head. The head 21 is of the same diameter as the cylinder part of least diameter and constitutes one wall of the chamber 19 to completely close the same, the chamber being separated or divided into two chambers by the depending part of the member 20 engaging in an annular recess in the head, as at 25. The head has a lateral diametrically opposite projecting piston part or parts 27 which may be considered as the piston proper to engage and operate in the fluid chambers 19 and being of a form sub stantially the same as the cross sectional shape of said chambers.

The charge ofthe motive medium or fluid to the chambers 19 is through a pair of axial ports 28 in the piston head, each of said ports having an inlet 28 in the periphery of the projecting portion 22 of the head, and which inlets communicate with a chamber 29 in an axial extension 30 of the cylinder and connected with the source of sup ply of the motive medium or fluid under pressure through a pipe 31. The said ports 28 have outlets 28C in the periphery of the head at one side of the piston parts 27. The discharge or exhaust of the liquid from the chambers 19 is through a pair of axial ports 32 in the head, the inlets 32 of said ports being located in the peripheral wall of the head at the side of the piston parts 27 opposite to the outlets 28 for the fluid inlet ports, and the outlets for said discharge ports are in the end of the head projection 22 and communicating with a chamber 33 to which a discharge or exhaust pipe 33 is connected.

. Slidably mounted in projections 34 of the cylinder and at opposite sides of the fluid chambers 19 are Slides 35, which are herein termed. as abutments, the lower end of which abutments has a bearing upon the periphery of the piston head. These abutments are reciprocable transversely of the fluid chambers during the rotation of "the piston head to intercept the movement of the piston parts 27, and in one position 7 thereof constitute a transverse partition or wall in said chambers and in such position engage in recesses 20 in the depending part of the member 20 formed to correspond with the cross sectional form of the abutments,

' pipe 33.

to make said partitions fluid-tight. There are four pairs of these abutments with one abutment of each pair located at opposite sides of the fluid chambers 19, and when these abutments are in position to intercept the movement of the piston parts 27, as shown in Fig. 16, they cooperate \with said piston parts to separate or divide the chambers 19 into fluid expansion chambers 19- with which the outlets 28 of the fluid inlet ports 28 communicate, and fluid discharge or exhaust chambers with which the inlets 32 of the outlet ports 32 communicate. To reciprocate theabutments so that said abutments will intercept the movement of the piston parts 27 in proper timed sequence there are provided peripheral cam grooves 36, 36 in the piston head 21 in which projections 37 of the abutments engage, said projections being in the nature of cam followers.

The operation of an engine as thus de scribed is as follows z-Assu'ming the parts to be in the positions indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 wit-h the piston parts 27 in the fluid chambers 19 in line with the abutments 35 at the top and bottom of the cylinder and the abutments at the opposite sides engaging in the'fluid chambers and intercepting the path of movement of the piston parts 27. With the parts in this position the motive fluid isbeing forced through the pipe 31 into the chamber 29 and from said chamber through the lateral inlets 28 through the ports 28 and outlets 28 into the chambers (Fig. 2) formed between the lateral abutment at the right and the piston-part 27 at the top and between the abutment at the left and the piston part at the front, the expansive force of the fluid pressing against the piston parts 27 moving the piston forward and any fluid which may be in the fluid chamber in front of the piston at the top and the abutment at the left, and in the fluid chamber between the piston part at the bottom and the abutment at the right will be forced by the pistons through the inlet to the ports 32 and through said ports into the chamber 33 and out through the discharge or exhaust During the forward movement of the pistons 27 from the position shown in Fig. 2, movement will be imparted to the abutments at the top and bottom to move said abutments into the fluid chamber and when the piston assumes substantially the position shown in Fig. 11 said abutments will be moved entirely across the fluid chamber and all of the abutments will extend across said chamber and intercept the path of movement of the piston parts 27. The outlets of the ports 28 and the inlets to the ports 32 are so proportioned and located that when the piston assumes the position shown in Fig. 11 with all of the abutments extending across the fluid chamber and intercepting the path of movement of the piston parts 27, the motive fluid under pressure will enter the fluid cham ber between the abutment at the top and the piston part 27 at the left of said abutment, and between the abutment at the bottom and the piston part 27 forward of said abutment. It will be noted that in this position of the piston the inlets to the ports 32 are in communication with the fluid chamber between the abutments at the sides and the piston parts 27 and that part of the fluid chamber between the abutmen'ts at the left and bottom and between the abutments at the right and top, the further forward movement of the piston parts 27 forcing any fluid which may said parts of the fluid chamber out through the ports 32. During the further movement of the piston the abutments at the right and left will be moved out of the path of the piston parts 27 and when the piston parts assume a position directly opposite to the abutments at the right and left the fluid under pressure will be entering the fluid chamber between the abutment at the top and the piston part 27 at the left and between the abutment at the bottom and the piston part 27 which will then be at the right, and that portion of the fluid chamber between the abutment at the top and the piston part 27 at the right and the abutment at the bottom and the piston part at the left will be in communication through the ports 32 with the exhaust or discharge pipe 33. It will be obvious that upon the continued movement of the piston the operation of the abutments will be repeated to alternately place the space at opposite sides of said abutments into communication with the fluid inlet ports 28 and the exhaust ports 32 and that the force of the incoming fluid will at all times be exerted on one side of the piston parts 27 and the fluid will be discharged from the fluid chamber from the opposite sides of the piston parts 27.

It will be obvious that the piston head 21 may have only one pair of piston parts 27, in which instance only two pairs of abutments 35 are provided carried at diametrically opposite points of the cylinder. Furthermore, the member 20 intermediate the cylinder sections may be omitted thereby providing a single fluid chamber 19, and instead of the piston parts 27 being in pairs theyare of an integral structure, a single set of four abutments carried by the cylinder at one side of the fluid chamber taking the place of the four pairs of abutments. In this latter construction when the piston head has a single piston part 27 there is only a pair of abutments carried by the cylinder at diametrically opposite points. In either of these constructions, however, it is preferable to provide the piston head with diametrically opposite projecting piston parts 27 and four or four pairs of the abutments, since in such a construction the pressure of the motive fluid or medium is on substantially diametrically opposite portions of the piston mechanism and cylinder, thereby overcoming lateral pressures on the piston head, and as such pressures of the motive fluid are equal on opposite sides of the piston the pressure on one side will equalize the pressure on the other side and maintain the moving parts in equilibrium and preventing any binding action with the consequent retardation and M wear of the moving parts. be in As stated, it is an object of the invention to change at will the direction of movement of the engine, and for this purpose means are provided to cause the motive fluid under pressure to enter the fluid chamber 19 and press against the piston parts 27 at either side thereof, and the exhaust or discharge of said motive fluid from the fluid chamber from either side of the piston parts 27 This means consists of a rotary valve (designated in a general way by 38) located between the end of the cylinder extension 22 and a member 39 fixed thereto havingaport 40 (Fig. 13) with which the inlet for the motive fluid communicates, said port, when the engine is moving in one direction as indicated by the arrow in Figs. 2 and 11, com municating through a port 42 in the valve with the annular chamber 29 in the cylinder extension, and with which chamber the inlet ports 28 to the fluid chamber 19 communicate. lVith the engine moving in the direction indicated the exhaust ports 32 of the fluid chamber 19 are in communication with the chamber 38, the latter chamber being connected with a recess in the valve through a lateral port 46 in the valve, and the recess 45 in the valve communicates with port -17 which is connected to the exhaust pipe 33'. (See Fig. 12.)

To reverse the movement of the engine in a direction reverse to that indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 11 the motive fluid inlet 31 is connected to the ports 32 to connect said motive fluid inlet to the fluid chamber 19. To connect the motive fluid supply pipe to the ports 28 the valve 38 is adjusted so that the recessed portion 1L5 therein is in communication with the port 40 connected withthe motive fluid inlet 31, and the recessed portion 45 is connected by a lateral port 46 therein which is then uncovered (Figs. 7 and 14 with the chamber 29 in the cylinder extension 22 and with which the ports 28 communicate. In this position of the valve the exhaust port -17 with which the exhaust pipe 33 communicates are connected by the port 42 in the valve 38 with the chamber 33 and with which chamber the ports 32 in the piston head communicate. In this position of the valve instead of the motive fluid entering the fluid chamber 19. between the abutments 35 at the right and the piston part 27 at the top and between the abutment at the left and the piston part at the bottom (Fig. 2) the motive fluid will enter the fluid chamber 19 between the piston part at the top and the abutment at the left and between the piston part at the bottom and the abutment at the right and the pressure will be exerted on the piston parts to move the piston parts with the piston head in a direction reverse to that indicated by the arrow in saidl ig. 2.

To adjust the valve 38 a section of said valve is provided with worm teeth as shown at 18 (Figs. 7 and l t), with which a worm 19 meshes, the said worm being located in a recessed portion of the member 39 connected to the cylinder extension 22 and fixed to an operating shaft 50 extending through a stuiiing box to the exterior of the member 39, and said projecting end of the shaft is adapted for the application of an oper ating means, such as a wrench or the like. It will. be obvious that by rotating the shaft 50 in one direction the valve will be adjusted in one direction, and when the shaft is rotated in a reverse direction the valve will be adjusted reversely.

In the modification shown in Fig. 17 instead of the piston head with the connected piston parts 27 moving, the piston head is fixed, and the cylinder 18 with the abutments 35 moves. In this construction the cylinder has an axially projecting part 51 to serve as the means to connect the engine to the element to be driven. Ihe piston head 21 is fixed to a stud shaft 52, and upon which the cylinder is journaled, the said shaft 52 having a part 53 whereby it may be secured in a fixed position and said shaft has the ports 28 and to connect the fluid chamber with the source of motive fluid supply and the discharge or exhaust.

Having thus described my invention I claim 1. In a rotary engine the combination of a cylinder comprising a pair of axially connected sections, said cylinder sections having a part of enlarged diameter at the connecting portions of said cylinder sections to constitute a fluid chamber and with an annular depending portion centrally of said chamber; a chamber for a motive fluid under pressure and a discharge chamber at one end of the cylinder; a piston of the same diameter as the cylinder of least diameter and rotatable therein, said piston havinglaterally projecting portions to engage in the fluid chamber; slides carried by the cylinder at opposite sides of the fluid chamber to have movement transversely of said chamher and cooperate with the depending part in the chamber to provide abutments; cam grooves in the periphery of the piston in which a part of the abutments engages whereby as the piston is rotated the abutments will be reciprocated transversely of the fluid chamber; fluid inlets in the piston leading from the motive fluid chamber to the fluid chamber in the cylinder to one side of the projecting portions of the piston engaging therein; and, outlets leading from the fluid chamber in the cylinder from the side of the piston projections opposite to the inlets.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder having an annular enlargement to constitute a fluid chamber; a head rota table in said cylinder having piston parts to operate in said chamber; a motive fluid chamber and an exhaust chamber at one end of the cylinder; a member connected to said chambers communicating with the motive fluid supply and exhaust; ports leading from the motive fluid and exhaust chambers to said cylinder fluid chamber at opposite sides of the piston parts for the fluid charge and discharge, said ports leading through the peripheral Wall of the head and communicating with the motive fluid and exhaust chambers through the axial support thereof; abutments slidably carried within the cylinder reciprocable transversely of the chamber andduring the rotation of the head to intercept the piston parts during the movement thereof; and a valve rotatable on an axis co-axial with the piston to connect at will the motive fluid chamber to and discharge chamber from the fluid chamber in the cylinder through either of said ports, .gibstantially as and for the purpose speci- 3. In a'rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder having an annular enlargement between its ends to constitute a fluid chamber; a head of the same diameter as the cylinder of least diameter and rotatable therein and having pistons to operate in the fluid chamber; ab-utments re'ciprocable transversely of the fluid chamber by the piston head during the rotation thereof to intercept the movement of the piston parts in the chamber; ports through the piston head to the fluid chamber to opposite sides of the pistons therein for the fluid charge to and discharge from said chambers, said ports extending through the axial support of the head and connected to the source of fluid supply and exhaust; and a disk having ports rotatably carried at the end of the head operable to control the fluid charge to or discharge from the fluid chamber through the ports at either side of the pistons, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

I. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder having'an annular enlargement to constitute a fluid chamber; a head of the 7 same diameter as the cylinder rotatable thereln and having pistons to operate in the fluid chamber; abutments reciprocable transversely of the fluid chamber by the head during the rotation thereof to intercept the movement of the pistons in the chamber; ports through the piston head to the fluid chamber to opposite sides of the pistons for the fluid charge to and discharge from said chamber; chambers in the axial support of the head and at one end of the cylinder with which said ports are at all times in communication; and a ported disk rotatable on an axis co-axial with the head operable to by-pass either one of said chambers with the fluid pressure medium and the other with the discharge for said fluid, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with a fluid pressure medium and a discharge for said fluid, of a cylinder having an annular enlargement to constitute a fluid chamber therein; a head of the same diameter as the cylinder rotatable therein and having pistons to operate in the fluid chains ber; abutments reciprocable transversely of the fluid chamber by the piston head during the rotation thereof to intercept the movement of the pistons in the chamber; ports through the piston head to the fluid chamber to opposite sides of the pistons therein for the fluid charge to and discharge from said chamber; a pair of chambers, one chamber at all times in communication with a port at one side of the pistons in the fluid chamber, and the other chamber at all times in communication with the port at the opposite side of the pistons; and a disk valve interposed between the chambers and the source of fluid pressure medium and discharge therefor to connect at will either one of said chambers to the fluid pressure medium and the other to the fluid discharge, gubstantially as and for the purpose speci- 6. In a rotary engine, the combination with a fluid pressure medium and a dis charge for said fluid, of a cylinder having an annular enlargement to constitute a fluid chamber therein; a piston head of the same diameter as the cylinder rotatable therein and having pistons to operate in the fluid chamber; abutments slidably carried by the cylinder to have reciprocable movement transversely of the chamber; a cam groove in the periphery of the piston head in which a part of the abutments engages to reciprocate the abutments by the piston head during the rotation thereof; ports through the piston head leading to the fluid chamber at opposite sides of the pistons therein for the fluid charge to and discharge from said chamber; a pair of chambers, one of which chambers is at all times in communication with the port at one side of the pistons in the fluid chamber and the other chamber in communication with the port at the opposite side of the pistons; a member connected co-axial to the end of the cylinder with the chambers having a port leading from the source of fluid pressure medium and a port for the return of the fluid pressure medium; and a disk having a pair of ports rotatably interposed between said member and the chambers to connect at will either one of said chambers to the port in said member leading from the source of fluid pressure medium and the other to the return port for the fluid, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In a rotary engine, the combination with a fluid pressure medium and a discharge for said fluid, of a cylinder having an annular enlargement with a part extending inwardly and centrally thereof to constitute a pair of fluid chambers; a piston head of the same diameter as the cylinder of least diameter and rotatable therein, said head cooperating with the inwardly extending part of the cylinder enlargement to close the two fluid chambers and having diametrically opposite laterally projecting parts to operate in the fluid chambers; four pairs of abutments slidably carried by the piston, one pair of said abutments being diametrically opposite to another pair; peripheral cam grooves in the piston head, a part of an abutment of each pair of abutments engaging in one groove and a part of its companion abutment engaging in the other groove whereby as the piston is rotated said abutments will be reciprocated transversely of the fluid chambers; ports in the piston head leading to the fluid chambers at opposite sides of the projecting piston parts therein to control the fluid charge from the source of fluid pressure medium to the fluid chambers at one side of the piston projections and thedischarge from said chambers to the fluid discharge from the opposite sides of the piston, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

8. In a rotary engine, the combination with a fluid pressure medium and a discharge for said fluid, of a cylinder having an annular nlargement with a part extending inwardly and centrally thereof to constitute a pair of fluid chambers; a piston head of the same diameter as the cylinder of least diameter and rotatable therein, said head cooperating with the inwardly extending part of the cylinder enlargement to close the two fluid chambers and having diametrically opposite laterally pro ecting parts to operate in the fluid chambers; four pairs of abutments slidably carried by the piston, one pair of said abutments being diametrically opposite to another pair; peripheral cam grooves in the piston head, a

ments engaging in one groove and a part of its companion abutment engaging in the other groove whereby as the piston is rotated said abutments will be reciprocated transversely ofthe fluid chambers; ports in the piston head leading to the fluid chambers at opposite sides 01": the projecting piston parts therein; a pair of chambers, one

10 chamber communicating With the ports at *Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents 'one side of the projecting piston partsin the fluid chambers, and'the other chamber in communication Withthe ports at the 0pposite sidesof said projecting piston parts; and a valve to connect at will either one of said latter chambers With the source of fluid pressure medium and the discharge for said fluid, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

SINCLAIR J. JOHNSON.

each, byaddress ing the commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0; 

